As a huge fan of Daryl Hall and John Oates, I’ve spent the last few days devouring the band’s new box set, “Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall and John Oates,” which came out on Tuesday. As far as the music goes, there aren’t a lot of surprises, especially if, like me, you’re someone who has all the records, including the duo’s obscure 1972 debut, “Whole Oats.” (I even own an LP from Hall’s pre-H&O band, Gulliver, which, sadly, could use a dose of Oates.)

That said, the $50 set is worth it just for the liner notes, which include a track-by-track breakdown by Hall and Oates themselves and tons of random/interesting facts. Like the revelation that Oates was once in a folk-rock band with Frank Stallone. Also, “Fall in Philadelphia,” one of the better Hall-penned tunes on the aforementioned “Whole Oats,” was partly inspired by an incident in which Oates was beat up after being unable to outrun a gang because he was wearing clogs. More weird Oates trivia? When the band played “Crazy Eyes” live, Oates routinely sang the bridge wearing novelty X-ray glasses.

One of the most revealing things for fans will be how much the Allen Sisters, Sara and Janna, contributed to the songwriting. Read More »

Two weeks ago, actress and singer Patti LuPone grabbed a cell phone out of the hand of an audience member who was texting during a performance of her current play, "Shows for Days." The bold move led to an outpouring of support from fans fed up with glowing screens. Ms. LuPone gives us her five rules of theater etiquette.